The former C-DoT chairman, in an informal chat with media persons after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government, said that the cost of access to the Internet services via these ICC will be 50 per cent cheaper than the going rate of Rs 60 to Rs 80 per hour charged by private service providers.

WorldTel, which is set up under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations to bring the latest telecom technology to developing countries in a cost-effective way, is working on a business plan to implement Tamil Nadu's ICC programme and this will be ready in 90 days, he said.

"Only after the business plan is ready will we be able to knowthe total cost involved in implementing the ICC project," he said. However, he hinted that the cost will be in the region of Rs 15 lakh per centre and taking the back-up costs to set up 1,000 such centres, the total could well be in the region of Rs 150 crore.

WorldTel is also keen to rope in a local partner to pitch in equity, but the extent of this partnership will be decided only after the business plan is ready. (It is learnt that Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot) is likely to be the partner for this project.)

The ICC project will be ready for launch in about a year's time but he was not willing to commit when all the centres will become operational.

WorldTel was also in talks to the West Bengal and Kerala governments to establish such a scheme, he said. It is also exploring the possibility of putting up a network for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and a fibre optic link for Madras Telephones.

Earlier, after signing the MoU, Pitroda told Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanaidhithat the initiative taken by the state government to set up ICC will bring in revolutionary changes as it can provide vital information in the service of the community like healthcare, education, crop control and farming. "But these will need to be keyed in local languages and a local database has to be developed. That is where I seek the help of the Tamil Nadu government," he said.

WorldTel has just completed a $100-million wireless local loop project in Mexico and is working on another $45-million telecom project in Azerbaijan. The company had put up a proposal to the central government to undertake implementation of basic telecommunication services in states like West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh (east) which had not received any bids by private telecom service providers in the DoT-sponsored tenders. However, the central government has not responded for over a year.

Karunanidhi urged Pitroda to work on a time-bound schedule to implement the ICC project so that he can put "pressure on officers totake up the next phase of the project earlier."

The signing of the MoU with WorldTel indicated that Tamil Nadu has taken a major step towards mass application of information technology and "it is a major initiative to take the state into the 21st Century."

Describing Pitroda as one of the superstars of the telecom world, the chief minister said together with WorldTel the government will promote the ICC concept all over Tamil Nadu. Hundreds of villages and towns in the state will be networked with one another and the rest of the world.

"This means instant information, communication, more knowledge, more education, more markets, more trade, more commerce, more jobs and a more successful future," he observed.

The MoU was signed by Tamil Nadu chief secretary AP Muthuswamy on behalf of the state government and by Sam Pitroda on behalf of WorldTel.